Glory of His Cross Prophetic Ministries
FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS
“They loved not their lives unto the death….(Rev.12:11)
John Fox was born in 1516, in Boston,
Lincolnshire, England Frankfurt
and then to Basel ,
Switzerland England London
Many of us do not know about the martyrdom of
many of the apostles of our Lord from the Acts of Apostles. However, the Fox’s book of martyrs fills the
vacuum in the book of the Acts. All the Christians should know about the
martyrdom of the early apostles and of the other Christians whose blood
continues to water the vines in the vineyard of God and to edify the Church,
the body of Christ.
You may read one article at a time,
prayerfully and in a calm environment. As you meditate on the life of a
martyr, the glory of His Cross will be revealed to you and there will be a
great outpouring of His Spirit on you.
The blood of each martyr has cemented the edifice of the Church, the
body of Christ. Today our life and ministry do not reveal the power of God
because we have either ignored the blood shed by these martyrs or forgotten
their names. Please take your own time
and meditate on these messages with reverential fear toward God and His
servants who have laid down their precious lives for the Church, the body of
Christ, of which you and I are members. You should remember their names and
thank God for their lives if you want to covet God’s blessings.
Early Apostles/Ignatius/Polycarp/Justin/Lawrence/Perpetua/Agatha/Alban/Sebastian/Dr.Constantine
Page-2: John
Calas/Patrick Hamilton/George Wishart/William Gardiner/William Lithgow/John
Bunyan
Page-3: Lady Jane/John Rogers/Lawrence Saunders/John
Hooper/Rowland Taylor/William Hunter/Dr.Robert Farrer/Rawlins White/George
Marsh/William Flower
Page-4 : John Cardmaker & John Warne/Thomas
Haukes, Thomas Watts & Anne Askew/John Bredford & John Leaf/Dirick
Carver & John Launder/W.Coker, W.Hooper, H.Lawrence, R.Colliar, R.Wright
& W.Stere
Page-5 : Robert
Samuel/Bishop Ridley & Bishop
Latimer/John Philpot/John Lomas, Agnes Snoth, Anne Wright, Joan Sole & Joan
Catmer/Archbishop Cranmer
Page-6 : Hugh
Laverick & John Aprice/George Crow & Julius Palmer/Sir Richard/Joan
Waste/John Hullier/Simon Miller & Elizabeth Cooper/Mrs.Joyce Lewes/Mrs.Cicely
Ormes/John Rough/Cuthbert Symson/Thomas Hudson, Thomas Carman & Williamj
Seamen/Roger Holland
Page-7 : John
Huss/Jerome of Prague/Zisca/Mrs.Prest/J.Corneford and others including an aged
woman/God’s judgment on the persecutors
Under
Nero
Christ our Savior, in the Gospel of St. Matthew, hearing the confession of Simon Peter, who, first of all other, openly acknowledged Him to be the Son of God, and perceiving the secret hand of His Father therein, called him (alluding to his name) a rock, upon which rock He would build His Church so strong that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. In which words three things are to be noted: First, that Christ will have a Church in this world. Secondly, that the same Church should mightily be impugned, not only by the world, but also by the uttermost strength and powers of all hell. And, thirdly, that the same Church, notwithstanding the uttermost of the devil and all his malice, should continue.
Which prophecy of Christ we see wonderfully to be verified, insomuch that the whole course of the Church to this day may seem nothing else but a verifying of the said prophecy. First, that Christ hath set up a Church needeth no declaration. Secondly, what force of princes, kings, monarchs, governors, and rulers of this world, with their subjects, publicly and privately, with all their strength and cunning, has bent themselves against this Church! And, thirdly, how the said Church, all this notwithstanding, hath yet endured and held its own! What storms and tempests it hath over-past, wondrous it is to behold: for the more evident declaration whereof, I have addressed this present history, to the end, first, that the wonderful works of God in His Church might appear to His glory; also that, the continuance and proceedings of the Church, from time to time, being set forth, more knowledge and experience may redound thereby, to the profit of the reader and edification of Christian faith.
As it is not our business to enlarge upon our Savior's history, either before or after His crucifixion, we shall only find it necessary to remind our readers of the discomfiture of the Jews by His subsequent resurrection. Although one apostle had betrayed Him; although another had denied Him, under the solemn sanction of an oath; and although the rest had forsaken Him, unless we may except "the disciple who was known unto the high-priest"; the history of His resurrection gave a new direction to all their hearts, and, after the mission of the Holy Spirit, imparted new confidence to their minds. The powers with which they were endued emboldened them to proclaim His name, to the confusion of the Jewish rulers, and the astonishment of Gentile proselytes.
1) St. Stephen: St. Stephen suffered the next in order. His death was occasioned by the faithful manner in which he preached the Gospel to the betrayers and murderers of Christ. To such a degree of madness were they excited, that they cast him out of the city and stoned him to death. The time when he suffered is generally supposed to have been at the Passover, which succeeded to that of our Lord's crucifixion, and to the era of his ascension, in the following spring.
Upon this a great persecution was raised against
all who professed their belief in Christ as the Messiah, or as a prophet. We
are immediately told by St. Luke, "there was a great persecution against
the church which was at
About two thousand Christians, with Nicanor, one
of the seven deacons, suffered martyrdom during the "persecution that
arose about Stephen."
2) James the Great: The next martyr we meet with, according to St. Luke, in the History of the Apostles' Acts, was James the son of Zebedee, the elder brother of John, and a relative of our Lord; for his mother Salome was cousin-germane to the Virgin Mary. It was not until ten years after the death of Stephen that the second martyrdom took place; for no sooner had Herod Agrippa been appointed governor of Judea, than, with a view to ingratiate himself with them, he raised a sharp persecution against the Christians, and determined to make an effectual blow, by striking at their leaders. The account given us by an eminent primitive writer, Clemens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James was led to the place of martyrdom, his accuser was brought to repent of his conduct by the apostle's extraordinary courage and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon, professing himself a Christian, and resolving that James should not receive the crown of martyrdom alone. Hence they were both beheaded at the same time. Thus did the first apostolic martyr cheerfully and resolutely receive that cup, which he had told our Savior he was ready to drink. Timon and Parmenas suffered martyrdom about the same time; the one at Philippi, and the other in Macedonia. These events took place A.D. 44.
3) Philip: Philip was born at
Bethsaida, in Galilee and was first called by the name of "disciple."
He labored diligently in Upper Asia, and suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis, in
Phrygia. He was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified, A.D.
54.
4) Mathew: Mathew whose occupation was that of a toll-gatherer was born at Nazareth. He wrote his gospel in Hebrew, which was afterwards translated into Greek by James the Less. The scene of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which latter country he suffered martyrdom, being slain with a halberd in the city of Nadabah, A.D. 60.
5) James the Less: James is supposed by some to have been the brother of our Lord, by a former wife of Joseph. This is very doubtful, and accords too much with the Catholic superstition, that Mary never had any other children except our Savior. He was elected to the oversight of the churches of Jerusalem; and was the author of the Epistle ascribed to James in the sacred canon. At the age of ninety-four he was beat and stoned by the Jews; and finally had his brains dashed out with a fuller's club.
6) Matthias: Matthias of whom
less is known than of most of the other disciples, was elected to fill the
vacant place of Judas. He was stoned at
7) Andrew: Andrew was the brother
of Peter. He preached the gospel to many Asiatic nations; but on his arrival at
8) Mark: Mark was born of Jewish
parents of the tribe of Levi. He is supposed to have been converted to
Christianity by Peter, whom he served as an amanuensis, and under whose
inspection he wrote his Gospel in the Greek language. Mark was dragged to
pieces by the people of
9) Peter: Among many other
saints, the blessed apostle Peter was condemned to death, and crucified, as some
do write, at Rome; albeit some others, and not without cause, do doubt thereof.
Hegesippus saith that Nero sought matter against Peter to put him to death;
which, when the people perceived, they entreated Peter with much ado that he
would fly the city. Peter, through their importunity at length persuaded,
prepared himself to avoid. But, coming to the gate, he saw the Lord Christ come
to meet him, to whom he, worshipping, said, "Lord, whither dost Thou
go?" To whom He answered and said, "I am come again to be
crucified." By this, Peter, perceiving his suffering to be understood,
returned into the city. Jerome tells us that he was crucified, his head being
down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said)
unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.
10) Paul: Paul, the apostle, who before was called Saul, after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting the Gospel of Christ, suffered also in this first persecution under Nero. Abdias declareth that under his execution Nero sent two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him word of his death. They, coming to Paul instructing the people, desired him to pray for them, that they might believe; who told them that shortly after they should believe and be baptized at His sepulcher. This done, the soldiers came and led him out of the city to the place of execution, where he, after his prayers made, gave his neck to the sword.
11) Jude: Jude,
the brother of James was commonly called Thaddeus. He was crucified at
12) Bartholomew: Bartholomew preached in several countries, and having translated the
Gospel of Matthew into the language of
13) Thomas: Thomas, called Didymus,
preached the Gospel in
14) Luke: Luke, the evangelist was
the author of the Gospel, which goes under his name. He traveled with Paul
through various countries, and is supposed to have been hanged on an olive
tree, by the idolatrous priests of
15) Simon: Simon,
surnamed Zelotes preached the Gospel in
16) John: John, the "beloved
disciple," was brother to James the Great. He founded the churches of
17) Barnabas: Barnabas was of
Prosecution under
Trajan in A.D.108: In this persecution suffered the blessed martyr,
Ignatius, who is held in famous reverence among very many. This Ignatius was
appointed to the bishopric of
Persecution under
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, A.D. 162: Polycarp,
the venerable bishop of
The proconsul then urged him, saying, "Swear, and I will release thee;--reproach Christ."
Polycarp answered, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?" At the stake to which he was only tied, but not nailed as usual, as he assured them he should stand immovable, the flames, on their kindling the fagots, encircled his body, like an arch, without touching him; and the executioner, on seeing this, was ordered to pierce him with a sword, when so great a quantity of blood flowed out as extinguished the fire. But his body, at the instigation of the enemies of the Gospel, especially Jews, was ordered to be consumed in the pile, and the request of his friends, who wished to give it Christian burial, rejected. They nevertheless collected his bones and as much of his remains as possible, and caused them to be decently interred.
Justin, the celebrated philosopher, fell a martyr
in this persecution. He was a native of Neapolis, in
He wrote an elegant epistle to the Gentiles, and employed his talents in convincing the Jews of the truth of the Christian rites; spending a great deal of time in traveling, until he took up his abode in Rome, and fixed his habitation upon the Viminal mount.
He kept a public school, taught many who afterward became great men, and wrote a treatise to confuse heresies of all kinds. As the pagans began to treat the Christians with great severity, Justin wrote his first apology in their favor. This piece displays great learning and genius, and occasioned the emperor to publish an edict in favor of the Christians.
Soon after, he entered into frequent contests with Crescens, a person of a vicious life and conversation, but a celebrated cynic philosopher; and his arguments appeared so powerful, yet disgusting to the cynic, that he resolved on, and in the sequel accomplished, his destruction.
The second apology of Justin, upon certain severities, gave Crescens the cynic an opportunity of prejudicing the emperor against the writer of it; upon which Justin, and six of his companions, were apprehended. Being commanded to sacrifice to the pagan idols, they refused, and were condemned to be scourged, and then beheaded; which sentence was executed with all imaginable severity.
Persecution under
Valerian, A.D. 257 Let us draw near to the fire of martyred
O, what tongue is able to express the fury and madness of the tyrant's heart! Now he stamped, he stared, he ramped, he fared as one out of his wits: his eyes like fire glowed, his mouth like a boar formed, his teeth like a hellhound grinned. Now, not a reasonable man, but a roaring lion, he might be called.
"Kindle the fire (he cried)--of wood make no spare. Hath this villain deluded the emperor? Away with him, away with him: whip him with scourges, jerk him with rods, buffet him with fists, brain him with clubs. Jesteth the traitor with the emperor? Pinch him with fiery tongs, gird him with burning plates, bring out the strongest chains, and the fire-forks, and the grated bed of iron: on the fire with it; bind the rebel hand and foot; and when the bed is fire-hot, on with him: roast him, broil him, toss him, turn him: on pain of our high displeasure do every man his office, O ye tormentors."
The word was no sooner spoken, but all was done. After many cruel handlings, this meek lamb was laid, I will not say on his fiery bed of iron, but on his soft bed of down. So mightily God wrought with his martyr Lawrence, so miraculously God tempered His element the fire; that it became not a bed of consuming pain, but a pallet of nourishing rest.
Persecution in A.D.200: Perpetua was a married lady 26 years old with a baby at her breast. On being taken before the proconsul Minutius, Perpetua was commanded to sacrifice to the idols. Refusing to do so, she was put in a dark dungeon and deprived of her child, but two of her keepers, Tertius and Pomponius, allowed her out in the fresh air several hours a day, during which time she was allowed to nurse her child.
Finally the Christians were summoned to appear before the judge and urged to deny their Lord, but all remained firm. When Perpetua’s turn came, her father suddenly appeared, carrying her infant in his arms, and begged her to save her own life for the sake of her child. Even the judge seemed to be moved. “Spare the gray hairs of your father,” he said. “Spare your child. Offer sacrifice for the welfare of the emperor.”
Perpetua answered, “I will not sacrifice.”
“Are you a Christian?” demanded Hilarianus, the judge. “I am a Christian”, was her answer.
Perpetua and all the other Christians tried with her that day were ordered killed by wild beasts as a show for the crowd on the next holiday. They entered the place of execution clad in the simplest of robes, Perpetua singing a hymn of triumph. The men were to be torn to pieces by leopards and bears. Perpetua and a young woman named Felicitas were hung up in nets, at first naked, but the crowd demanded that they should be allowed their clothing.
When they were again returned to the arena, a bull was let loose on them. Felicitas fell, seriously wounded. Perpetua was tossed, her loose robe torn and her hair falling loose, but she hastened to the side of the denying Felicitas and gently raised her from the ground. When the bull refused to attack them again, they were dragged out of the arena, to the disappointment of the crowd, which wanted to see their deaths. Finally brought back in to be killed by gladiators, Perpetua was assigned to a trembling young man who stabbed her weakly several times, not being used to such scenes of violence. When she saw how upset the young man was, Perpetua guided his sword to a vital area and died.
Agatha, a Sicilian lady, was not more remarkable
for her personal and acquired endowments, than her piety; her beauty was such,
that Quintian, governor of Sicily, became enamored of her, and made many
attempts upon her chastity without success. In order to gratify his passions
with the greater conveniency, he put the virtuous lady into the hands of Aphrodica,
a very infamous and licentious woman. This wretch tried every artifice to win
her to the desired prostitution; but found all her efforts were vain; for her
chastity was impregnable, and she well knew that virtue alone could procure
true happiness. Aphrodica acquainted Quintian with the inefficacy of her
endeavors, who, engaged to be foiled in his designs, changed his lust into
resentment. On her confessing that she was a Christian, he determined to
gratify his revenge, as he could not his passion. Pursuant to his orders, she
was scourged, burnt with red-hot irons, and torn with sharp hooks. Having borne
these torments with admirable fortitude, she was next laid naked upon live
coals, intermingled with glass, and then being carried back to prison, she
there expired on
Alban
Alban, from whom St. Alban's, in Hertfordshire,
received its name, was the first British martyr.
Persecution in A.D.303: Sebastian, a celebrated martyr, was born at Narbonne, in Gaul, instructed in the principles of Christianity at Milan, and afterward became an officer of the emperor's guard at Rome. He remained a true Christian in the midst of idolatry; unallured by the splendors of a court, untained by evil examples, and uncontaminated by the hopes of preferment. Refusing to be a pagan, the emperor ordered him to be taken to a field near the city, termed the Campus Martius, and there to be shot to death with arrows; which sentence was executed accordingly. Some pious Christians coming to the place of execution, in order to give his body burial, perceived signs of life in him, and immediately moving him to a place of security, they, in a short time effected his recovery, and prepared him for a second martyrdom; for, as soon as he was able to go out, he placed himself intentionally in the emperor's way as he was going to the temple, and reprehended him for his various cruelties and unreasonable prejudices against Christianity. As soon as Diocletian had overcome his surprise, he ordered Sebastian to be seized, and carried to a place near the palace, and beaten to death; and, that the Christians should not either use means again to recover or bury his body, he ordered that it should be thrown into the common sewer. Nevertheless, a Christian lady named Lucina, found means to remove it from the sewer, and bury it in the catacombs, or repositories of the dead.
Dr. Constantine
Dr. Constantine, an intimate acquaintance of the already mentioned Dr. Aegidio, was a man of uncommon natural abilities and profound learning; exclusive of several modern tongues, he was acquainted with the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages, and perfectly well knew not only the sciences called abstruse, but those arts which come under the denomination of polite literature.
His eloquence rendered him pleasing, and the soundness of his doctrines a profitable preacher; and he was so popular that he never preached but to a crowded audience. He had many opportunities of rising in the Church, but never would take advantage of them; for if a living of greater value than his own was offered him, he would refuse it, saying, "I am content with what I have"; and he frequently preached so forcibly against simony, that many of his superiors, who were not so delicate upon the subject, took umbrage at his doctrines upon that head.
Having been fully confirmed in Protestantism by Dr. Aegidio, he preached boldly such doctrines only as were agreeable to Gospel purity, and uncontaminated by the errors which had at various times crept into the Romish Church. For these reasons he had many enemies among the Roman Catholics, and some of them were fully determined on his destruction.
A worthy gentleman named Scobaria, having erected a school for divinity lectures, appointed Dr. Constantine to be reader therein. He immediately undertook the task, and read lectures, by portions, on the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles; and was beginning to expound the Book of Job, when he was seized by the inquisitors.
Being brought to examination, he answered with such precaution that they could not find any explicit charge against him, but remained doubtful in what manner to proceed, when the following circumstances occurred to determine them.
Dr. Constantine had deposited with a woman named Isabella Martin, several books, which to him were very valuable, but which he knew, in the eyes of the Inquisition, were exceptionable.
This woman having been informed against as a Protestant, was apprehended, and, after a small process, her goods were ordered to be confiscated. Previous, however, to the officers coming to her house, the woman's son had removed away several chests full of the most valuable articles; among these were Dr. Constantine's books.
A treacherous servant gave intelligence of this to the inquisitors, and an officer was dispatched to the son to demand the chests. The son, supposing the officer only came for Constantine's books, said, "I know what you come for, and I will fetch them to you immediately." He then fetched Dr. Constantine's books and papers, when the officer was greatly surprised to find what he did not look for. He, however, told the young man that he was glad these books and papers were produced, but nevertheless he must fulfill the end of his commission, which was to carry him and the goods he had embezzled before the inquisitors, which he did accordingly; for the young man knew it would be in vain to expostulate, or resist, and therefore quietly submitted to his fate.
The inquisitors being thus possessed of Constantine's books and writings, now found matter sufficient to form charges against him. When he was brought to a re-examination, they presented one of his papers, and asked him if he knew the handwriting? Perceiving it was his own, he guessed the whole matter, confessed the writing, and justified the doctrine it contained: saying, "In that, and all my other writings, I have never departed from the truth of the Gospel, but have always kept in view the pure precepts of Christ, as He delivered them to mankind."
After being detained upwards of two years in prison, Dr. Constantine was seized with a bloody flux, which put an end to his miseries in this world. The process, however, was carried on against his body, which, at the ensuing auto da fe, was publicly burnt.